Research
I started this project curious about ways to structure working environments that prioritize people and their individual needs without losing sight of collective goals.
In our constantly changing work environment, people and our relationships to one another, are a constant.
I wanted to learn from natural ecosystems since they have adapted and thrived over hundreds of thousands of years; nature is an older and wiser system. Business are increasingly looking to nature to inspire their own practices, from pushes towards a circular economy to regenerative agriculture in our food system. If production systems are using nature-inspired practices, why can't people and teams in the workplace do the same?
At the core of business' shift towards regenerative practices is a shift in mindset from focusing on discrete challenges and needs to viewing the system as a whole. And from a workplace perspective, what is at the core of a business are the people doing the work.
Through my research, I read articles and books, watched movies and documentaries, and talked with people leaders in the business world. Over time, I found three principles embodied by nature that helped me shift my mindset to be more systems and people oriented in my day-to-day, which ultimately allows me to be more regenerative in my work.
Trust the People. If you trust the people, they become trustworthy. Move at the speed of trust. Focus on critical connections more than critical mass—build the resilience by building the relationships.
–adrienne maree brown
What does it mean
to be regenerative
at work?
To regenerate is to restore to original strength or properties (according to my reliable friend Merriam-Webster).
For me, to regenerate at work is to restore myself to my original strength which ultimately restores company health to its original strength too. And there is an important distinction between sustainability and regeneration at work. I am not trying to simply sustain myself to keep up with my work and get by; I want to grow and come back stronger and healthier: to regenerate.
To be regenerative at work is also to acknowledge the reciprocity in all of our interactions. While the reciprocal relationship between people is different in each situation, acknowledging the value that individuals give and receive at work allows us to see people as a part of a whole rather than as a means to an end.
How can we
be regenerative
at work?
Through my research, I’ve found three principles: time, decentralized power, and trust, that are found in ecosystems and can be modeled in the workplace.
So, while I cannot offer specific actions that will guarantee a certain change or result, I can offer an orientation to our work: principles and approaches to decision making and problem solving based on natural systems that have guided, and continue to guide, me in my own life.
Time
Nature understands that time moves at the pace we need. They do not rush to reach a certain endpoint but instead take the time necessary to nourish and grow at a sustainable pace
In a forest ecosystem
When spring arrives, the caterpillars of spruce moths emerge from hibernation. The worms fatten by eating the leaves, buds, flowers and cones of coniferous trees. Even though caterpillars are bad news for the trees, others in the forest ecosystem benefit. Generally the forest canopy is really dense and dark, but when the worms chew a break into the canopy, the sun comes in, regenerating plants and adding diversity of wildlife. Later in the year, other animals benefit from this added diversity, such as the snowshoe hare, which hides and forages in this new growth during the winter.
In the workplace
Often at work when something unexpected happens we immediately want to fix it. We could easily conclude that the caterpillars are harming the trees by eating all the buds and leaves so they must be stopped, but in time, the forest regrows, diversifies and provides resources for other animals as a result of the caterpillars’ feeding. When faced with challenges at work, sometimes time is the solution. New hires need time to adjust to their new role and responsibility and learn about the company culture. This mastery takes time. When people are trying to learn new competencies and develop new skills at work, at some point classes, seminars and conferences are no longer useful.
Decentralized Power
There is a mutual understanding that each plant and animal has a role to play within the ecosystem. Every plant and animal contributes to maintaining their habitat which is the core of decentralized power. This understanding allows for survival and also for growth and flourishing.
In a forest ecosystem
The fungal networks of mycorrhizal connect trees. This network allows trees (even those of different species) to talk to one another and communicate when there is a threat, boost their immune system, and share resources such as nutrients and water. Trees are a foundation for forests and are the hubs within the mycorrhizal network. Trees are a lifeforce within the forest but would not be as strong without their underground fungal network.
In the workplace
Often we associate visibility with power, but in the case of the fungal network, they are an invaluable part of the ecosystem that goes unseen. We must reorient ourselves to a strengths-based approach to leadership and management that recognizes the value people bring to a team or job independent of visibility or status within an organization. If we look at the ecosystem as a whole, each plant and animal has a role to play and their work together is often interconnected. Similarly, teams and companies would benefit from valuing the strengths we each bring to a team and allowing people to thrive as a unit. For example, it’s often assumed that in order to advance in a company, people need to become managers, but not everyone is interested in or would thrive at being a people manager. Organizations should structure themselves in a way that allow them to center their talents while still advancing in their career.
Trust
Plants and animals in the ecosystem trust one another. There is trust that they will do their part to the best of their abilities, take only what they need, and give what they can.
In a forest ecosystem
In the fall, swollen rivers allow salmon to go deep into the forest to spawn. Grizzly bears flock to the river to eat salmon and store up energy for the winter. The salmon that the bears catch increase the bears chance of survival during hibernation. (These bears grow 80% larger when living in close proximity to salmon.) The young bears carry the fish far away from the water to eat risk-free. The salmon carcasses are left on the forest floor, which break down over time providing important nutrients to the fungal networks and forest floor.
In the workplace
The relationship between the salmon and bears reframes how we understand predators. The bears do not just take from an ecosystem; they also give back and they take only what they need to survive and make it through the winter. They use their visibility and size to share and disperse nutrients throughout the forest floor to smaller organisms. In our work, we can reevaluate our relationships to people in different career stages or of differing tenure. People who are more senior in a company or leading a team should ensure that they are sharing their expertise generously and supporting those who are not seen as prominently get the support they need.